Officials show off renovations to aid in Belle Isle’s transition toward state park

Justin Jacobs, Founder, Come Play Detroit, makes some comments during a press conference about the transition of Belle Isle as Michigan's 102nd state park at the Belle Isle Casino, Tuesday December 11, 2013. (Vaughn Gurganian-The Oakland Press)

That’s the message numerous local organizations and state, city and federal officials delivered on Belle Isle, where numerous renovations already under way were highlighted as a sign of collaborative efforts.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources held the event as the kickoff to a 90-day transition period after which it will assume responsibility of the 985-acre park.

Ron Olson, chief of parks and recreation for the natural resources department, said work is being done to remove hazardous trees, re-roof shelters, replace picnic boards and clear entrances to long-closed trails.

“This is truly a beginning and not an end by any means,” Olson said Tuesday before a crowd of a few hundred gathered inside the Belle Isle Casino. “It is a start. We’re all in for Belle Isle and that’s why we’re here.”

Advertisement

Rodney Stokes, a special adviser to Gov. Rick Snyder, said natural resources, like the island, will play a role in the revitalization of southeast Michigan.

“This island belongs to the people of Detroit, but the state is proud to be ... the caretakers” of Belle Isle for a period of time.

Stokes was referring to the contentious period leading up to the lease signed in October by Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr and Snyder. The Feb. 10 opening date begins a 30-year lease that makes Belle Isle the 102nd state park.

The state’s Emergency Loan Board approved the lease last month after the Detroit City Council rejected the proposal, offering a shorter lease with guidelines detailing the state’s involvement in Snyder’s proposed park upgrades.

Since then, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources put out the word that it was looking to attract partnerships in assisting with park renovations.

That message delivered a return of more than there-dozen groups who say they are pledging time, talent and money.

“As they heard we were recruiting ... they started coming to us,” said Ed Golder, public information officer for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Cutbacks in funding for the park’s upkeep came as the city endured larger operating deficits and an increased long-term debt load. Tuesday’s announcement of the numerous partnerships involved in the transition period comes a week after a federal judge approved Detroit’s Chapter 9 bankruptcy petition, the largest of its kind in the nation’s history.

Mayor Dave Bing said the city’s not in a position today where it can afford maintaining the park without assistance.

“We cannot continue to run our city how we did several years ago,” Bing said.

The mayor, a longtime supporter of the state park deal, said Belle Isle is “a beacon for us to really gather around ... it’s not just about Detroit, it’s about the region.”

Officials have said the deal will save the city an estimated $4 million a year. Snyder previously pledged $20 million in upgrades in the first three years under state management. That number, officials said, will be achieved through grants, donations and revenue from the $11 annual fee to drive on the island. The fee covers access to all of Michigan’s state parks.

Dr. Granae Dudley, president and chief executive officer of the Youth Connection, a group that provides after-school activities to students, spoke Tuesday about the benefits the park has brought to hundreds of young people.

Her group, which has been involved with work on the island for over 15 years, has taught hundreds of kids about multiple trades, including plumbing, painting and construction. The group also restored a restroom on the park and learned about how to maintain aspects of the island.

Asked what she would say to Oakland County residents who may be interested in visiting the island, Dudley said she’s brought family and friends and “they’ve just been surprised at how awesome of a place it is.”

Dudley said she’s most excited about “what a tremendous place it’s going to be” after the renovations are completed.

About the Author

Ryan Felton is a staff writer at The Oakland Press who covers Rochester, Rochester Hills, Oakland Township, transportation and technology. Blogging about Detroit at detroit.jalopnik.com. Reach the author at ryan.felton@oakpress.com
or follow Ryan on Twitter: @ryanfelton13.